Stargate: The Pegasus Project Chapter 2: Lost City, Part 2, a stargate: sg-1 fanfic

Stargate: The Pegasus Project

Chapter 2: Lost City, Part 2

Colorado, Gas station 3mi. from Miss Berwick's house; Tuesday 10th, 2004

The 6-month pregnant Catherine Berwick, a psychologist, was in the gas station just shopping for essentials. She could have called upon Lyra Mcpherson, her boyfriends' brother, or even her own brother, but she just needed some bread and milk. The various women she had seen in the shop had given her strong suggestions to go home, but she stubbornly refused.

She was just checking the dates on the medium-sliced brown breads, thinking about her fiancée who worked at the super-secret base beneath NORAD. She knew the secret, since with two ties to the base - Her fiancée and her brother, she was more likely to find out if either let anything slip.

It was at her brothers' urging, that Alex requested permission to bring her in on the secret. That she was a psychologist, and if she knew, willing to work for the SGC... they were authorised, and she quickly became a Psychologist working for the SGC, and even for the US Air Force Academy. Being able to build up a psych profile meant she could say if any promising cadets were suitable to being recruited.

But of course, 2 months after that, she got pregnant, and a month ago she finally went on Maternity leave at the behest of Dr Frasier...

She was thinking of how things were looking up for them. How Alex' was the youngest Lieutenant Colonel in 8 years, and 3rd youngest on record. How successful he was being at the SGC. SG-teams received Hazard pay, a specific amount per mission, that amount determined by what proven risks that had been in on those missions over whatever amount of time that mission ran for. They were quite financially stable, both with her high-pay job as a psychologist, and his high-standard pay-plus hazard pay.

That he often went on high-risk missions once a week, sometimes even twice a week, and they often lasted between 3 to 6 days... She worried greatly. Even more, with the little one on the way.

But he had a great career, and she thought herself to be a great girlfriend, soon-to-be wife. Projections that she had heard from the other SGC-linked psychologists showed that they expected him to make full Colonel within 3 years, most likely becoming the 2nd youngest full Colonel on record. The 1st youngest recorded had already made it to Full-bird around the same age as Alex when Alex made Lt. Col.

The thought that he might be placed in charge of a long-term off world project, as she had heard was likely, though, made her frown.

As she paid for her items, the girl behind the desk clucked, and handed her a note. Catherine knew who she was, having lived so close for years.

She raised an eyebrow at the note, and the girl explained, "Just ring me when you need that stuff, I'll be happy to bring it back after my shift."

Catherine smiled, and nodded her thanks as she paid for the stuff, and left.

Unnoticed, the note slipped out of her pocket onto the sidewalk as she grabbed her car keys.

Washington D.C., White House Oval Office

Alex shared a look with General Hammond. "So, Homeworld Security? We got to hope that paperwork doesn't get leaked." He joked.

"Quite." Hammond agreed.

Colorado, Stargate Command, Level 27 Briefing Room

Lyra looked at the open file that had been put together quite quickly a few minutes ago. When Daniel and Sam told her the details of how this information came out, she was amused.

"Bit of a jump, right?" She said to Daniel. "'Hmm, this is ancient... 6 syllables. Of course It's the gate address in verbal form!'" She joked. Sam snickered at that. "I'm sorry, Daniel. I couldn't resist."

Daniel rolled his eyes. His ability to make leaps to the solution, or answer of puzzles, and so forth, was rather infamous around the base. That those jumps tended to be correct, 99 times out of a 100, only meant that people never teased him derisively, although it was a point of friendly teasing among his department.

Sam spoke up. "Unfortunately, I looked at our Address database, and discovered that we've tried to dial the planet before, but the 'gate didn't connect."

"'Lost in fire'." Daniel reminded them, the almost prophetic name of the planet when translated from its ancient gate address/name.

"So..." Lyra continued, prompting them to say what it was they were building up to.

"We'll need a ship to get there." Sam finished.

Lyra sat back, and after a moment, said, "While finding this Lost City is a high priority, I doubt the President will authorise the use of Prometheus to get there... we need the ship here. What about our off world Allies, the Tok'ra usually have a few cargo ships we can borrow...?"

Daniel and Sam shared a look; obviously Lyra hadn't gotten to that part of the records. "Unfortunately, there's been a breakdown in confidence between us, after the attack on the second Alpha Site." Sam explained.

"We don't even have a method to get in touch with them. Even then, I do doubt that they'd give us use of one." Daniel finished.

Lyra nodded with a sad smile.

Jack got up, and as he left, simply said, "Teal'c."

Lyra looked amused at that, and looked to Daniel. He nodded, "Bra'tac can probably get a cargo ship for us."

"Then contact him, please. At least we have one ally left in the galaxy to turn to." Lyra said, frustration with the Asgard, and the implications of loosing contact with the Tok'ra setting in.

Colorado, Stargate Command, Level 24 Storage Room

Lyra and Sam entered, to see Jack picking up various supplies and other technology, including a Naquadah Reactor-Generator.

Lyra turned to Sam, and asked, "He doesn't really know what he's doing, does he?"

"No I don't."

"Aren't you forgetting the kitchen sink?" Lyra asked.

Jack, replied, "Not Netario."

Sam pulled out a notebook, and wrote the word down. At Lyra's look, she explained, "Daniel asked me to keep track of what he said, and the context..." She thought for a moment, and smiled. "Necessary."

Lyra nodded. "Sounded like." She agreed.

One the speakers, Sergeant Harriman called saying there was a message for her. She picked up a phone near the door, and listened.

"Good. We'll be down in a few minutes." She put the phone down, and said to Sam, "Get ready for off world. Take whatever supplies you'll need for several days, I get the feeling Jack will forget it..." She joked.

Sam nodded, knowing she really meant that Jack was going to forget basics, in the need to get things to... well make possible whatever was going to happen.

Colorado, Stargate Command, Level 28 Gate Room

Lyra watched, amused as 4 FREDs, (Field Remote Expeditionary Device) were wheeled up the ramp and into the active Stargate by SG-2, minus Alex who was still in Washington D.C. with General Hammond.

The 3 human members of SG-1, dressed for off world now, nodded to Lyra.

"Good luck, god speed." She wished them.

As the Stargate deactivated, Sergeant Harriman hurriedly spoke into the speaker, "Doctor, I have a report from NORAD." She rushed up and into the control room. "Ma'am, two minutes ago, NORAD's Space-based detected three Goa'uld vessels emerging from Hyperspace near MARS orbit."

Washington D.C., White House Oval Office

Alex was bid to enter. He shut the door behind him, to show the President, Generals Hammond, Maynard and Jumper, and Vice President Kinsey.

"Mr President, a short time ago, NORAD's space-based radar detected three Goa'uld vessels emerging from hyperspace, out near Mars orbit."

Hayes sighed, and said to Kinsey, "Looks like you were wrong, Bob."

"Three ships. Hardly the full force of his fleet." Kinsey pointed out.

Alex spoke up. "Sir, this Goa'uld has shown he will use tactics similar to our own. When hiding the full force of our army, do we not send in only small numbers to test our' enemies defences?"

Hayes asked, "You think he's trying to find out what ours are?"

Hammond answered, "Sounds to me like Anubis wants to know if SG-1 was successful in procuring Ancient defence technology."

"They weren't." Kinsey muttered.

Hammond countered, "Not yet, but Anubis doesn't know that."

Hayes finished, "He's holding back, until he finds out what we got."

"Sir, Prometheus and our fleet of 302s can give 'em a run for their money." General Jumper suggested.

Hayes looked at Alex, and asked, "What do you think, Colonel. You've been in 302 Combat before..."

Alex suppressed the memory of a time when 4 F-302's were assembled on a planet, in order to fight and defeat a minor Goa'uld's forces that were attacking an important Tok'ra outpost.

"All due respect, sir, but the full complement of the Prometheus' F-302s is a fraction of what 3 Motherships carry. Each ship can carry up to as many as a hundred Death Gliders. We have 16 302's. After missiles, we can't be sure that we'll get locks on the only place we can damage a Glider with the main guns..."

At Hayes look, he added, "Their cockpit, sir. And many of our pilots are uncomfortable with having to do that. I know two pilots refused to do that, knowing some of the Jaffa, if given the chance, would join the Rebels. Even more so, after several injured Jaffa who piloted Gliders against 302's a few months ago, who survived their gliders' crashing, did in fact honestly defect."

"So you would let our enemy live, because some of them May turncoat out of the goodness of their hearts?" Kinsey asked mockingly.

"Sir, I am saying that in combat, our people will kill the enemy if they have to, but they will not do so dishonourably. Missiles give them a small chance to survive, and so to see the error of their beliefs if they haven't already. To fire upon them knowing that where we are aiming would kill them, while not guaranteeing the glider itself would be disabled..."

"I understand, Colonel." Maynard said for them. "But surely, with the Prometheus..."

"If that is all they throw against us," Hammond interjected, "I'd agree. But three ships is surely only their forward reconnaissance force. Anubis' objective is to goad us into a precipitous action which will show our hand. I believe launching the Prometheus now will only serve to demonstrate we lack the very advanced weaponry Anubis is afraid of."

Hayes nodded, and said, "Remain at DEF-CON 3 for the time being but contact the governments of Russia, Great Britain, France, China and Canada and let 'em know what we think we're in for. In the meantime, I'd better prepare a hell of a speech. Colonel, we may need the Prometheus and the F-302's, so I suggest you make your way there to ready them anyway."

Alex nodded, and saluted the generals and the President. They all returned it, and Alex left.

Before leaving the White House for the military airbase, where he'd get a supersonic jet as transport (Advantages of the SGC and General Jumper knowing time was of the essence...) he rang ahead to Nevada, the Prometheus Docking bay.

"Yes, I need Colonel Pendergast and... shore leave? Where is he... oh. Well can you put his second on? What's his name... Okay...." He waited a minute, then, "Lieutenant Colonel Mitchell right? It's Alexander Mcpherson, SGC... I need you to ready the ship and the F-302s. High Alert. Yes, it's because of them... No we haven't got orders to go, but they could come in at any time. I'll be there in a few hours, so get a 302 ready for me, will you? Thanks."

Colorado, Stargate Command Level 28 Control Room; Wednesday 11th, 2004

There was silence, as the transmission from the Spruance, a Destroyer in the Nimitz Battle Group ended.

A minute later, Harriman, subdued, reported that he had General Jumper on the line.

"Doctor, I take it you were listening in."

"Yes sir. Was that..."

"Yes. It began less than 5 minutes ago."

There was silence for a moment, before Lyra, quietly, said, "They had no defences, they couldn't even evade..."

"I know." Jumper replied. "We believe he'll try to take the SGC at some point, and repeatedly dial-in to prevent us leaving or receiving help from our off world allies that way. Dial out and keep the gate dialled as long as you can. We're activating the Genesis Protocol."

Lyra, Harriman and Colonel Reynolds of SG-3 shared looks, who in the absence of Jack, was acting 2nd to Dr Mcpherson.

"We'll be ready, General." She replied, even more subdued that Harriman was.

Nevada, X-303 Prometheus, Upper Hanger Bay; Thursday 12th, 2004

Alex poked his head out from the cockpit, and shouted down to the weapons technician reloading the main guns. Each of the 8 F-302's in the Upper hanger bay were parked so that they could run weapons' tests on the main guns, including targeting alignment.

Part of the mechanism that protected the guns from atmospheric entry, by pulling the guns into the super-structure, included ensuring that reloading could only be done while the guns' where within that space - the ports for the reloading arms would otherwise be physically blocked from access by the guns.

"Alright, fully armed, sergeant."

The Technical Sergeant disappeared for a few moments, before he reappeared, putting the rearming truck' reload arm away.

As Alex sat down, he saw the clock on the active dashboard monitor, along with the date.

Thursday, early hours. He should have been with Catherine for a scan yesterday.

He shook the thought out, and the guilt, and got to work, when Catherine's' brother, Lieutenant Jonathan Berwick, Expert marksman of SG-2 and Qualified 302 Co-pilot, arrived.

Jonathan climbed up the ladders, and sat in the rear seat, saying as he did, "You really think I'll let you go flying these things without me? Someone's gotta make sure the father of my Sisters' kid doesn't get himself killed."

Alex shot back, "Someone's gotta make sure my Girlfriends brother stays out of trouble."

Jonathan's personality was not very conducive to certain kinds of US Military Officers. It was only their initial friendship from Nellis AFB that helped smooth that other with Alex and some of the officers of the SGC. He was a fine soldier, but even Catherine admitted that Jon, who had barely cruised through the Academy, wasn't very good officer material. Projections she had read did indicate that he'd be among the officers who rose through the ranks quite slowly.

Alex had said that, because everyone still remembered when Jon was almost kicked out of the SGC during his posting on SG-4, under a Colonel Tucker. Alex had somehow gotten Colonel Ferreti to vouch for him, getting Jon's punishment to be on probation, then re-assigned to SG-2. With Alex on the team, Colonel Ferreti, and his then-2nd, Major Carley, slowly became friends. After Carley left, and a captain from Canada joined around 14 months ago, Jon found someone else who he interacted with easily... Captain Starpass.

Shaking those thoughts out, the pair of friends for half-a-decade, soon to be in-laws, went to work..

Colorado, Gas station 3mi. from Miss Berwicks' house

Catherine went in, again for milk and bread. She quietly explained to the girl behind the counter, who had kindly made the offer to do her shopping just a few days ago that she lost her number.

As she was picking out some milk from the fridges, however, Some men in balaclavas and tactical vests, carrying AK-47s entered and shouted, "Everyone down on the ground, this is a robbery!"

Washington D.C., X-303 Prometheus, Bridge

Alex was sat in the Command chair, as the Prometheus hovered where it wouldn't be seen by any civilians near to the White house, despite being above Washington D.C.

The operations officer, a woman whose name Alex didn't catch, reported, "General Hammonds' transport is aboard sir."

"Good. You're in command until he arrives. Tell him I'm going to my 302."

Colorado, Stargate Command Level 28 Gate Room

In the gate room, Kinsey stands with Lyra, completing some last paperwork as the Gate dials.

Lyra scowled at the man, "Well I thought you were a lot of things, but I should have expected that being a coward was one of them."

Behind him, the Stargate locked it's 3rd symbol. Kinsey replied, "I'm a pragmatist, Doctor. Besides, someone has to ensure the survival of the human race and the American way of life. By the way, if you survive, you're through." Suddenly, the lights in the gate room go out, and the Gate stopped dialling mid-sequence. "What the hell's going on?"

Walter Harriman nowhere to be seen, another gate technician, someone called Pearson, replied, "We've lost main power."

"Manual iris control -- close it now!" Lyra shouted...

One of the gate-room guards rushed to a panel on the side wall, and within seconds the iris closed.

Kinsey, in anger, shouted, "What the hell are you doing?! Open that iris and dial the Alpha Site!"

Within seconds however, the gate reactivates, only not by being dialed. all 7 chevrons light up without the inner track spinning, and a wormhole is established. Behind it, the wall is lit up by the active wormhole, the iris stopping the front of it lighting up the room.

"Unauthorised off world activation. I am not reading an ID-" the room shook, as something impacted the Iris, which actually moved visibly.

The technician reported, ""That was a nuke -- or worse."

To Kinsey, Lyra told him, "That's probably Anubis. You're not going anywhere." She then ignored him, and moved away.

"You get me out of here, you hear me?" He stopped her, grabbing her in the arm. Surprising to everyone present though, the way she removed his hand was by using a martial arts move, grabbing his wrist and twisting it until not only had he released her, but he was in pain from his arm being so twisted.

"Never. Ever. Touch. Me."

With that, she moved into the control room, still holding him.

"We've just received an encoded message from SG-1." Pearson reported.

The technician beside him reported, "It's not coming through the Gate."

Kinsey exclaimed, wincing in pain, "I don't give a damn!" He pulled himself out her grasp.

"Well I do!" She spat back.

Colorado, Stargate Command Level 27, Dr Mcpherson's Office

Lyra was sat leaning against the desk, the call on speaker-phone.

"Henry, the Prometheus can't win against an entire Goa'uld fleet, but it could buy SG-1 time enough to complete their mission."

Kinsey interrupted, "Mr President, that is downright insane! I am relieving Doctor Mcpherson and taking command of this-"

Lyra, who was speaking at the same time, was saying, "Sir, from what I've looked at-"

Henry shouted, "Will you shut the hell up?!"

"Sir?" Lyra asked.

Henry calmly spoke, "Not you, Lyra."

"Excuse me?" Kinsey said, shocked.

"Consider your resignation accepted, Bob." Henry spoke, sounding like he took great pleasure in saying that.

"You can't do that!"

"Oh please, I got enough on you to have you shot."

"This is the biggest mistake you will ever make."

"But I think I'll stick with my original thought, which is shut the hell up!"

"I promise you will only live to regret this!"

Kinsey made to leave, but Lyra decided it was time a certain deception was revealed, and said, "No you won't. One Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Mcpherson, the Team Leader of SG-2 and my brother, is about to lead the F-302 wing on the Prometheus against the Goa'uld. Now... LEAVE."

Kinsey left, and Lyra took great pleasure in saying, "Finally."

"I've wanted to do that since I took a look at that packet Mr Woolsey gave me."

"Same here. Henry, we need to send Prometheus to cover SG-1..."

Atlantic Ocean, X-303 Prometheus, Upper Hanger Bay

A scene being mirrored in the lower bay with the other 16 302 pilots and co-pilots, Jon, and the 14 pilots and co-pilots of these 8 302's were being briefed by Alex.

"Listen up. New orders from General Hammond. We are no longer going after Anubis' Mothership. SG-1 are on their way to Antarctica, in a cargo ship. Mitchells' Flight has the job of Covering them. We're to make sure they don't worry about getting Jaffa on their ass. I'm Mitchell's wingman..." And so Alex assigned them to be the wingmen to the other 302's below.

Over the comms, Walter Harriman, who had been picked up on the way to Washington, came on his radio., Alex listened for a second.

Alex nodded to them all, "Wheels up in 2 minutes! To your fighters!"

Alex and Jon quickly dove into theirs, and quickly brought the 302 to full flight-ready status. With a minute left to launch, the hanger was evacuated and atmospherically sealed from the rest of the ship.

50 seconds to launch, and the large door giving a forward view of the Prometheus, from inside the 'neck' opened.

10 seconds, and Antarctica came into view.

"Launch... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...."

All 8 F-302's launched in pairs, two after another two, and accelerated quickly with the use of their rocket boosters.

"Alright people, we're 30 seconds out." Mitchell came on the radio, who actually was leading the 302's. "Get into formation."

Hammond came on the radio 10 seconds out. "302's, weapons hot!"

Alex smiled, as the tone of a lock told him that his missiles were locked onto an alkesh.

"Fox two!"

Colorado, Gas Station 3mi. from Miss Berwicks' house

Catherine clutched her stomach, crying in pain and loss as the gunmen robbers left with cash.

Blood was gathering on the floor, and she had passed out from it by the time the EMCs arrived. One of them almost passed out realising why her stomach had a rather obvious bulge... and realised just what the gunmen had done.

The local sheriff, recognised who it was, and rang a number he had been given some time ago, when there was an incident, a number he now new could be used to reached Catherine's fiancée.

"Hello, I need to speak to Colonel Mcpherson... This is officer Eccleston. It's about his fiancée and child... I have bad news."

Antarctica

Alex nodded as Jonathan reported, "We're all out of missiles."

"Switching to main guns."

Quickly, it became obvious that in the cold atmosphere the Gliders were more susceptible to damage from their main guns than were in space, why this would be they didn't have a clue.

As he took out his 4th Glider that had tried to hit Mitchell, who used the fact that nothing was getting past Alex, to take down an Alkesh that made a run at the Cargo ship.

"Sir, Prometheus reports they are heading for space to take on the Mothership."

Alex took it in without a word.

After the Cargo Ship's strange beam ceased, Mitchell was struck by a stray glider, after the 302 that was trying to get it was destroyed. "This is Col. Mitchell... Mayday mayd-"

Alex made a note of where the colonel crashed, and was thankful that the gliders were ignoring it.

Suddenly, Jon spoke up, "Sir, Master Bra'tac is requesting we clear a path to lead them out of the combat zone."

"Alright. Jameson, Reverend, Bra'tac needs evac path. Lets plough the road!"

Jonathan snickered at the quote.

The Cargo ship wasn't even out of the combat zone, however, when millions of yellow... things... appeared from the hole that the Cargo ships' beam had bored. some split off, and destroyed the Gliders and Alkesh remaining, and then rejoined the main group, that were heading into the sky, along the path that the Prometheus had taken.

Colorado, Stargate Command Level 28 Control Room

"Thousands of bright yellow ... I don't know ... they're coming from the surface ... I don't know what they are. They're cutting the enemy fleet to shreds!" A voice was saying on the comms, "My god it's beautiful."

Pearson smiled at her, as he reported, "Message from Prometheus."

Lyra smiled, and said, "Patch it through."

Hammond came on the speakers, "Anubis' Fleet has been destroyed."

Cheers from everyone who had patiently been listened would have startled her, but Lyra was cheering too.

"What of SG-1, General?" Lyra asked after a moment.

General Hammond replied that he was returning to Antarctica to check that, when a sergeant with a worried look approached.

"Doctor Mcpherson? I have a Sheriff Eccleston on the line, he says he needs to speak to Colonel Mcpherson, it's about his fiancée... and child."

Lyra's smile disappeared, along with everyone else's who had both heard and knew about, or knew personally, Catherine Berwick. Even some, who didn't, knew it wasn't good.

Lyra nodded, and went to her office.

Picking up the phone and pressing the button to patch it through, she greeted, "Chris, it's Lyra... What's..." She stopped, and listened.

Outside the door, the sergeant, and the last two members of SG-2, Captain Derek Starpass and Lieutenant Ryan Omega, watched as all the blood in her face left. They both rushed in and grabbed her, when the phone slipped out of her hand and she collapsed, horror written all over her face, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Doctor? Doctor Mcpherson, what's wrong?" they were both asking, to no response. After a minute of that, Derek asked, "Lyra...?"

Lyra looked at him, one of the faces she had seen often even when not at the SGC, visiting her brother in the past... After Jon, the only person at the SGC that she had seen quite often before she herself was signed up, was Derek.

"Derek... Catherine's been shot in the stomach... She's... lost the baby."